


Surprise Graduation

by aavandam



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Graduation, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Surprises, grant ward is not in this, mama may, papa phil (kinda), skye is an official agent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 05:11:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15678693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aavandam/pseuds/aavandam
Summary: Surprise graduation for new agent of SHIELD Skye (she's still Skye at this point). Set in an imaginary bubble where Hydra didn’t ruin the immediate aftermath of Skye becoming an agent and the team can celebrate.Ward does not exist because I don’t want him to and IT’S MY STORY DAMNIT!





	Surprise Graduation

**Author's Note:**

> A bit cheesy, but we all need that from time to time
> 
> also known as I am physically incapable of writing a fic without mama may and daisy/skye feels

 

      “ _ FITZ!!!! _ ” Jemma yelled, running into the lab in search of her partner-in-crime. “Fitz!” Startled, Fitz looked up from the mechanism he was working on to look up and finds Jemma looking at him expectantly. 

     “Uhhhh, am I forgetting something? Am I late for something?” He questioned, confused as to the look on Jemma’s face. 

     “No, I’ve been trying to text and call you for 45 minutes.” Jemma responded with hands on her hips. 

     “Oh, right. Let me just..” Fitz stumbled under his breath while fumbling in his pockets to find his phone which he had set to silent while he was working. Looking at the screen he found message after message, all from Jemma asking-then eventually begging-him to meet her in the common room. 

     “Okay, so what’s so important? What is it you want to talk about?” Fitz asked, looking up at the woman standing in front of him. 

     “Coulson just made Skye an official agent and I had an idea.” Jemma explained with a glint in her eye showing her excitement. At Fitz’s look indicating he was listening she continued, “I want to throw a surprise graduation for Skye!”

     “That could be fun.” Fitz answered, head starting to fill with ideas. 

     “I just want to do something nice for her. We all got a graduation ceremony and a party and she never got that and she’s never had a normal life and I just want to give her something to show her that we do really love her and that we are happy she is with us on this team and-“ 

     “Breathe Simmons!” Fitz interrupted. “It’s a great idea. What do you have in mind?”

     “Well, we could buy a cap and gown online, set up a little stage area, get May and Coulson to help-”

     “Get May and Coulson to help with what, exactly?” May asked, walking into the lab. At the silence that met her question, May quirked an eyebrow as if to say ‘don’t make me ask again’.

     “W-we were thinking of throwing a surprise graduation for Skye since Coulson just made her an official agent. She didn’t go to the academy, obviously, but she should still get a celebration.” Simmons explained, her eyes trained somewhere near the floor. Slowly, she looks when up when May doesn’t respond. When her eyes fall on May’s face, she finds the barest hint of a suppressed smile. 

     “I think she would love that. Of course Coulson and I will help.” May eventually responds.

     “Really? Great! I was hoping Coulson would do the actual graduation part of the ceremony. Do you think you could talk to him?” Simmons responds emphatically, her excitement returning.

     “I can ask him, but I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t agree to it. Anything for me to do?”

     “I thought you could keep Skye occupied while we set everything up?” Simmons posed the suggestion, hoping May would be game. Sure she already said she would help, but this is May we are talking about, she can be unpredictable.

     “Of course. When do you want to do this?” May asked; getting all the pertinent information is part of her job, after all. 

     “This weekend? Saturday probably. That way we have a few days to plan this properly.” Simmons offered.

     “Alright. Let me know if there is anything you two need help with, anything at all.” May answered before exiting the lab in search of Phil.

  
  
4 days later…

 

     Skye and May have been training for a few hours at this point, which is not unusual, but the fact that it is Saturday is unusual. May usually gives Skye the day to herself without any training. Barring any world ending disaster, Saturdays are free. Not that she’s complaining, she loves hanging with May, even if her muscles feel like they are on fire and her limbs are definitely going to be limp, useless noodles after all this is over. Being around May doing something so familiar is somehow comforting, a solid ground in a profession where little is set in stone.   
__  
“Kind of like a mother.”   
  
Skye doesn’t let the thought fully process before she has already pushed it out and is focusing on the angle of her leg in her kick.

     What Skye can’t quite figure out is  _ why.  _ Why the multiple hours of training on a Saturday when there is no impending crisis (knock on wood)? Skye was about to chalk it all up to the mysterious ways May’s brain works when May suddenly looks at the clock, stops immediately, and starts toward the locker rooms, motioning for Skye to follow.  _ “What the hell?”  _ Skye thinks, absentmindedly trailing after her mentor. In the locker room, May grabs a towel and heads for the showers, the norm for May post-workout.  _ “Well that’s weird”  _ Skye muses, grabbing her own towel before also heading toward the showers-she has sweat literally dripping off of her, she needs a shower.

     Skye’s showers are always fast, a byproduct of living in a communal space with dozens of other children at St. Agnes, but May is always faster. She is a super spy after all. When Skye enters back into the locker room, hair wet and dressed in fresh clothes, it is to find May casually standing next to her locker.

     “You waiting on me for something?” Skye questions as she opens her locker to grab her hairbrush and begins to wrestle her hair into a decent ponytail. 

     “I want to take you somewhere, but first you should change. Here.” May replies, offering a simple but elegant black dress she has been holding behind her back.

     “If I ask where, you’re not going to tell me, are you?” Skye asks, already knowing the answer.

     “No.” May shoots back, her neutral face gaining an amused glint before returning to her customary blank slate.

     “It was worth a shot.” Skye banters back. She takes the proffered dress before quickly changing her clothes. May turns around to give the girl some privacy. She knows it doesn’t bother the young girl-another side effect of growing up in cramped quarters with dozens of other children-but she likes to give Skye some privacy when she is able. May doesn’t know how to show her student/pseudo daughter how much she cares for her; she tries to show her in the little things such as this or making her a cup of coffee when she is also making a cup of tea for herself or letting the girl sleep in when she has had a particularly difficult day.

     “Could you, uh, zip me up? I can’t quite reach it.” Skye’s voice punctures the quiet bubble that has surrounded the pair. Quickly, the dress is zipped and Skye is standing, waiting for May to make the next move as Skye has no clue what/where they are heading.  May takes one last look at her watch and starts walking out of the locker room, trailed closely by a very curious Skye.

     “Can you at least give me a hint?”

     “No.” May deadpans, as if expecting this line of questioning.

     “Just one, tiny hint?” Skye pleads. May doesn’t need to turn around to know the exact look currently on Skye’s face. . Lip sticking out, eyes wide and slightly teary, folded hands held up to her chest as if begging. It’s the same face she has used numerous times to get Phil to allow her to do something she probably shouldn’t be doing.

     “No.” It’s a good thing Skye is behind her because May is smirking, trying to contain her laughter at Skye’s playful antics. Skye detects the evidence of said smirk in May’s voice, so she calls that a win. (Her goal is to one day make May full on laugh out loud-May is aware of this plan and was considering just laughing one day to see the look on Skye’s face, but decided against it-she wants to try, so let her. It’ll be more satisfying to Skye if she works for it.)

     During the whole of their walk through the base, Skye notices the lack of people, there are no other agents around. Skye looks to May, but she doesn’t seem worried so Skye allows herself to calm a little. When the pair reaches the door leading into the plane hangar, May stops and turns to look at Skye.

     “Ready?” May asks with a raised eyebrow. Confused, Skye replies,

     “Ready for what?” Rather than answer, May opens the door to the hangar and motions Skye to enter first. Cautiously, Skye walks into room. First she sees Fitz and Tripp sitting on metal folding chairs with two empty chairs next to them. Tripp and Fitz are looking at her, smiling. Skye’s confusion growing, she finds Coulson standing on a platform, with a podium, with the largest grin she has seen on his face, possibly ever. Her eyes continuing their sweep of the room she finds Jemma about 10 feet away from the edge of the platform, holding and indistinguishable something in her hands. Turning back to May, Skye asks,

     “What’s going on?” May glances as Jemma, and at her slight nod she begins with a small but strong smile,

     “Simmons wanted to surprise you. You became an official agent of SHIELD this week and she wanted to do something special for you. So she decided to throw you a surprise graduation.” At Skye’s astonished look, May gently guided the young agent-who was definitely NOT crying-over to Jemma, and May took her place in one of the empty chairs with Fitz and Tripp. As Skye got nearer to Simmons, she could tell that the thing she is holding is in fact a cap and gown. 

     “You did all this for me?” Skye asks, blown away by the incredible kindness of her friends.

     “Of course we did. Just because you didn’t go to the Academy doesn’t mean you deserve to be an agent any less. The rest of us got all the hoop-lah. You should too. Plus, you didn’t get a high school graduation either, so this is long overdue.” Jemma explains, tears in her eyes. Through Jemma’s explanation, tears started streaming down Skye’s face, no longer able to keep them at bay. 

     “I just can’t believe you did all this for me.”

     “Of course we did. You’re part of the family. Now here. Put this on.” Jemma hands the cap and gown to Skye. She quickly puts the gown on over her clothes and puts the cap on her head. Blushing slightly, Skye leans toward Jemma and whispers,

     “Which side does the tassel go on?” Chuckling softly, Jemma responds,

     “This side,” and reaches up to move the tassel to the correct side of the cap.

     “Do I look okay?” Skye worries.

     “You look excellent.” Jemma reassures before moving to take her own seat with the rest of the team. Then, Coulson starts speaking from his place at the podium.

     “Good morning everyone. As you all know, we are her to celebrate Skye. While her path may have been a bit unconventional, she became an agent. Skye, we all love you, and we are so proud.” Coulson turns to Skye and motions for her to join him on stage. Quickly wiping the tears off her face, silently thanking every god out there that she didn’t apply any makeup today, she walks up the few stairs and across the stage until she is standing next to Coulson. He pulls her into a hug and whispers, 

     “I am so incredibly proud of you.” Overcome with emotions, Skye just tightens the hug before letting go and looking toward her friends in the ‘audience’. She wipes her face roughly with her hands and takes a deep breath before stepping forward until she is directly behind the microphone.

     “Wow. Um, thank you. This mean a lot to me. I’ve spent my whole life looking for my family. Searching the globe for and wide, hacking my way forward until there was nothing left but a brick wall. I guess I had to wait for my family to find me. You are my family and it’s better than I could have ever imagined. I love you guys. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.” Skye spoke, new tears forming fresh tracks down her cheeks, as well as the cheeks of everyone in attendance-including stone faced May-which only serves to make Skye cry harder.

     Eventually, Coulson composes himself and takes back his place at the microphone.

     “Okay, let’s get on with the actual graduating business. Skye, if you could head back to the side of the stage.” Phil grins. Skye would tease him if it weren’t for the identical grin currently taking up residence on her own face.

     “Now, may I present the graduating student of SHIELD Academy-Bus edition, Agent Skye!” Coulson announces, and Skye walks up to him and shakes his offered hand. Phil reaches into his pocket and presents Skye with her badge. Skye takes it, confusion written across her face.

     “You already gave me my badge.”   
     “I know. It’s the same one. Tripp took it from your bunk while you were with May this morning.” Coulson explains, taking immense joy in the outraged yet strangely touched expression taking over Skye’s face.

     After one final hug, Skye walks across the second half of the stage before running at her friends who were all standing, clapping, and shouting at her. They all encase Skye in a group hug, everyone a bit teary eyed, but smiling.

     Many hours had passed since the graduation. In those hours, Skye was overwhelmed with the love and thought that were put into this surprise, all for her. Following the ‘ceremony’, the team ushered Skye to the common area which had been decorated all-out in cheesy graduation items-streamers, balloons, graduation caps everywhere, cakes, chips, soda. The team spent hours talking, laughing, and eating.

     Now, Skye is in her bunk laying on the bed trying to process the day’s events. Hanging up is Skye’s  _ graduation gown  _ from her  _ surprise graduation  _ that her friends  _ threw for her. _ She has never had anyone care enough to celebrate anything with her, let alone a graduation for an academy she didn’t actually attend.  A tentative knock pulled Skye from her musings. She quickly dried the remnant happy tears from her face.

     “Who is it?”

     “It’s May”

     “Come in, the door’s unlocked.” May opens the door and slips inside, gently closing the door behind her. 

     “I wanted to see how you’re doing after everything today.” May asks slowly. 

     “I’m good. A little overwhelmed, but in a good my-friends-are-awesome way, not a my-life-is-horrible way.” Skye answers with a laugh and a smile appears on May’s face.

     “Good, that’s good.” May replies. A comfortable silence falls over the two before Skye speaks up.

     “Is there anything else?”

     “Yes. I, uh, wanted to give you something. A graduation gift, if you will. Here.” May stutters out and hands over a gift covered in wrapping paper which reads ‘Congrats Grad!’ over and over.

     Skye takes the gift and hesitantly starts unwrapping it, taking extra care as to not rip the wrapping paper. Taking off the last of the paper reveals the gift to be a photo album. Skye looks up to May, a mixture of shock and confusion showing the older agent that she doesn’t fully understand what she is holding-or won’t let herself hope that the gift is what she thinks it is. 

     “It’s a photo album with pictures of you. I tracked down old foster families I thought might have had pictures. A few had pictures, but not many were very...flattering.” May grimaces remembering the photos of young Skye, covered in scrapes and bruises. “But there was one family, the Robertson’s, that had some good ones.”

     “Yeah, they were nice.” Skye answers absentmindedly, eyes focused on the cover, her mind too busy processing to even think about opening it yet. 

     “There must have been a nun in the orphanage who wasn’t  _ terrible _ because there were also a few good ones in your St. Agnes file. I had planned on this being a birthday gift, but when Simmons came to me about the graduation I decided to fast track it.” May finishes. Skye looks up to see a face looking at her, almost scared. Scared she’s going to reject the gift or shut down.

     “I..I love it. Thank you.” The younger agent-she’s an  _ agent  _ now holy shit-answers. She pats the bed next to her, hoping May will understand she wants her here. Thankfully, May moves to sit next to the girl who slowly opens the cover to the first page, revealing pictures of Skye, young Skye who hadn’t been stomped on by the world yet. Pictures Skye either forgot or didn’t know had ever existed.  After going through the whole book, Skye closes the cover and brings it to her chest, hugging it reverently.

     “Thank you. This means...so much to me. This must have taken you ages to finish. I don’t know how to ever thank you enough.”   
     “You’re very welcome but there’s no need. You’re family, there’s never anything ‘too difficult’ for family.” May replies with a smile and tears falling down her cheeks. At her words, Skye can’t help but gather the smaller woman into a hug. May quickly reciprocates and the two stay like that for a while just enjoying being near each other.

     “Thank you Mom.” Skye whispers. May tightens her hold on Skye.

     “You’re welcome sweetheart.”

  
  


     Today truly was the perfect day.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated!


End file.
